A Little Different
by timelords-wizards-winchesters
Summary: Troy and Gabriella met at the ski lodge on New Years, but Gabriella never moved to Albuquerque. The two teens still keep in touch, though, and they form a strong friendship. Can it ever become something more? Troyella AU, Complete!
1. Chapter 1

The last place Gabriella Montez expected to end up on this vacation was on a stage, under a spotlight. She had massive stage fright, and she got nervous around strangers, and all she wanted to do was finish reading her book. Yet, there she was.

It made her feel a little bit better that the boy that got dragged up there with her looked just as uncomfortable as she was. She jumped as the music started to play, a song she recognized, thank god, and she turned away from the boy, looking out above the sea of people, finding a nice spot on the far wall to stare at. Then he opened his mouth, and she got chills. He could _sing_. And she wasn't half bad, either, and together, she realized, they actually sounded pretty great. She loosened up, letting herself go, forgetting entirely that she was on stage until the last note.

With the applause from the crowd, the trance was broken. Shyly, she met the boy's eyes. He stuck out his hand.

"Troy," he told her. She took his hand. His eyes were blue.

"Gabriella," she told him. He smiled, and she could swear she saw his eyes sparkle.

The two got pushed off the stage in a flurry of excitement. There were five more minutes until midnight – until the New Year.

"I hear there's supposed to be fireworks," Troy said. "Want to go outside and check it out?" He rose his voice over the crowd. Gabriella nodded. Outside, it was much quieter.

"That was pretty incredible, up there," Troy said with a grin.

"Yeah, it was. I've never done something like that before. It was just – amazing!"

"You're telling me you _don't_ sing on a regular basis? You're so good!"

"Just church choir, I guess. What about you?"

"I'm sure my shower head is very impressed," he said. She laughed, before shivering. It was freezing outside, and her shirt was thin.

"Here," Troy said, immediately taking off his hoodie and giving it to her.

"But won't you be cold?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he insisted.

"Thank you," she said, accepting the sweatshirt gratefully.

"So, where are you from?" Troy asked.

"Right now, I'm from New York City."

"Right now?"

"Well, me and my mom move around a lot. My dad died when I was young. We've been in New York for a little more than two months, so that will probably change in another month or so…sorry, I'm rambling," she said, cutting herself off. "What about you? Where are you from?"

"Sorry about your dad," he said sincerely. She just shrugged in response. "I'm from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Pretty far from you, which is unfortunate. I'm in the market for a new duet partner." She gave him a look. He laughed. "I'm joking."

"As much fun as that was tonight, you probably won't catch me on stage anytime soon," she said. "I'll probably be too busy with school anyway."

"What grade are you in?"

"I'm a freshman in high school."

"Oh, me too."

Gabriella grinned. "Well – " She was cut off as people started chanting, counting down to the New Year.

" _5…4…3…2…1!"_

Loud cheering erupted around them, and she heard loud popping as fireworks went off.

"Looks like you heard right," she smiled, looking up at the sky.

"Yeah," he said softly, so quiet she barely heard him. She cleared her throat.

"I should probably go find my mom," she said. "Wish her a Happy New Year."

"Okay," he said, shifting his gaze to her. He sounded disappointed. "I'll…I'll call you! Here!" He pulled out his phone, handing it to her. "Put your number in!"

"Yeah! Okay," she said, pulling out her own phone and handing it to him.

"You know," he said as he took his phone back from her, "singing with you was the most fun I've had on this entire vacation."

"Me too," she smiled, shrugging off his jacket. "Thanks for lending me that. It's comfy. I should get myself one."

Troy laughed, and she couldn't help but smile. His joy was contagious.

"Anytime. Bye, Gabriella."

"Bye, Troy."

/

Gabriella hadn't heard from Troy in the two weeks since the end of her vacation. He'd left the day after they'd met, three days before she did. She had accepted the fact that he had probably forgotten about her, though she thought about him a lot.

In that time, she and her mother had moved from New York to Louisiana, and she was feeling quite lonely. The city life was all hustle and bustle – she could always find something to do when she was bored. All she had to do was step onto the street to be surrounded by excitement. In rural Louisiana, however, she was literally stuck watching tumbleweeds roll across the dirt driveway.

"Honey, are you okay?"

Gabriella turned to her mother, who was standing in her doorway.

"Yeah, Mom, I'm fine. I just miss the city," she sighed. "I don't like it here very much. But hey, it's not for long, right?" Maria Montez frowned.

"No, I suppose not."

"It's totally okay, Mom. I'm gonna find out what there is to do around here."

"Okay, baby. I'm going into work for a bit, to make sure everything is set up for my first day tomorrow."

After her mother left, Gabriella stopped gazing through the window and moping, logging onto the computer in the hopes that it would cheer her up.

 _Maybe I can find a nearby book club or something to join,_ she thought. She logged on to Facebook to start her search, and was met with a pop-up notification.

 _You have a friend request from Troy Bolton._

"He remembered me," she said to herself quietly, a tiny smile crossing her face. She clicked _accept_. Almost immediately, a message box popped up on her screen.

 _Troy: Hey! How are you?_

Gabriella grinned as she typed her response.

 _Gabriella: I'm okay. What about you?_

 _Troy: Just okay?_

 _Gabriella: We moved again. In Louisiana, now. Not much to do here._

 _Troy: That sucks, I'm sorry. You started school yet?_

 _Gabriella: Eh, I learn to live with it. I don't start for three more days, because of the move. I hate it._

 _Troy: Hey, look on the bright side. You're closer to me!_

Gabriella's heart fluttered.

 _Gabriella: Still too far away._

 _Troy: I wish you were here to drag me away from my dad's basketball practices._

 _Gabriella: Is he working you too hard?_

 _Troy: As a wise girl once said: "Eh, I learn to live with it."_

 _Gabriella: Haha. I'm sure he's just trying to help you, in the long run. So, Troy Bolton, tell me more about yourself._

 _Troy: My favorite colors are red and blue. My favorite animal is a wildcat, which also happens to be our school mascot. My best friend is named Chad. I actually really like my English class, even though I write terrible essays. What about you?_

 _Gabriella: I like blue, too, but my favorite is orange. I love turtles, because when I was younger, me, my mom, and my dad went on vacation and we went swimming with them. I like science and math, I'm pretty good at them._

 _Troy: You're good at math?_

 _Gabriella: Um, yeah. Why?_

Gabriella's attention was ripped from her computer as her phone began to ring across the room. She rushed to grab it before it went to voicemail.

"Hello?"

"Wanna help me with my geometry homework?"

Gabriella smiled at the sound of Troy's voice.

"Sure."


	2. Chapter 2

For the next few weeks, Gabriella dragged herself to school day after day, distractedly doodling in the margins of her notes all day as she waited for the bell to ring. She would be itching to go home and get on the computer to message Troy, or anxiously await a text from him. They would talk on the phone and she would help him with his homework. She still hated Louisiana – her classes were boring, rather than interesting and challenging, and she hadn't made many friends. She sat with one other girl at lunch that was even shyer than she was, so much so that she hadn't even learned her name yet.

It was a Friday, and she was sitting in her literature class, bored out of her mind. She had already finished the essay assignment for the day, but there was still half an hour of the period, and she had her phone in her lap and an earbud in one ear, hidden behind her waves of dark hair. She was glancing down at her phone as she received texts from Troy.

 _Troy: Shakespeare makes my head hurt._

 _Gabriella: He's not that bad._

 _Troy: He is when I have to write an essay on "Romeo and Juliet"._

 _Gabriella: I just finished writing one about "Macbeth"._

 _Troy: Ah, good to know I'm not the only one suffering, then._

She tried desperately to hold in a giggle as she responded.

 _Gabriella: Write your essay, Wildcat. I'll still be around when school lets out and practice is over._

Just then, the bell rang, and she tucked her phone into her pocket and gathered her books, dropping her completed essay on the teacher's desk on the way out the door. She made a quick stop at the school library to return a few books and pick up a few new ones. She glanced at her phone to check the time – Troy was still in school for another few hours or so.

It was a Friday afternoon, and Gabriella was relieved – exhausted and ready to sleep in the next day, but delightfully happy. She walked upstairs, dropping her stuff haphazardly on the floor and sitting in her desk chair. Booting up her laptop, she kicked off her shoes and threw her hair up into a bun. Once it was logged on, she got a notification. It was a message from Troy that she must have missed the night before.

 _Troy: I made this for you._

Clicking the link that followed the message, she realized it was a playlist. She immediately brought it up on her phone instead, plugging in her headphones and making her way downstairs. She still had time to waste before Troy was done with school, and then he had an hours' worth of basketball practice.

Deciding to kill some time, Gabriella made her way around the kitchen, gathering ingredients for brownies. She was in a good mood, ready for the weekend, and she was craving chocolate, so she decided to surprise her mom when she got home from work. She was in the middle of mixing the batter when the front door opened. Gabriella didn't notice, humming along to Troy's playlist as she mixed.

"Gabi? Are you making brownies?"

"Oh! Hi Mom!" she said cheerfully.

"Someone had a good day," Maria laughed, dropping her bag on the counter and dipping her finger in the batter, licking it. "Yum."

"Stop it, wait for them to bake!" Gabriella scolded, pouring the batter into a pan and sticking it in the oven. Then she sat on a stool at the kitchen counter, watching her mom fill the dishwasher with a grin.

"Someone's in a good mood. What happened today?"

"Not much. Classes were boring, as always."

"Did you make a friend or something? You've seemed awfully cheerful lately for someone who claimed to hate Louisiana," Maria said conversationally.

"Not really," Gabriella said, running her hands through her hair.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, no one at school. School still sucks a lot," Gabriella said. "I did meet this guy on vacation, though. We exchanged phone numbers. I guess you could say I've been long-distance tutoring him in geometry."

"Really?" Maria said, an eyebrow raised. "Where's he from?" Gabriella blushed.

"It's not like that, Mom. We're just friends. He lives in New Mexico."

"Okay, okay, whatever you say, honey," Maria said with a teasing smile. "But tell me – is he cute?"

"Mom!"

"Is he?"

"Maybe," Gabriella admitted, blushing even more. Maria laughed. Gabriella's phone started to vibrate, the music cutting off abruptly in her ears, and she rushed to pick it up.

"Is that him?" Maria asked excitedly.

"Mom! Shhh!" she said, picking up the phone. "Don't forget to take those brownies out of the oven at 4:30."

"What?" came the voice on the other end of the line.

"Oh, sorry, Troy, I was talking to my mom."

"Troy, huh?" Maria teased. Gabriella slapped her hand to her forehead.

"I'm going upstairs, Mom," she said, already halfway to her bedroom.

"Your mom sounds like she's really nice," Troy said.

"Yeah, I love her," Gabriella said, closing her bedroom door. "Thanks for the playlist, by the way. I've been listening since I got home. I love it."

She sat down in the spinning chair at her desk, putting her feet up on the desk.

"I knew you would. So, guess what? I don't have any geometry homework this weekend, so we get to talk about things that aren't math," he said. She laughed.

"You're calling earlier than usual. No basketball practice?"

"Nope. It got cancelled. Chad is still gonna come over later, we're probably just gonna watch a movie or something."

"Chad is the one with the afro, right? That always carries around a basketball?"

"That's the one. My best friend. Don't ask why, I couldn't even explain."

"Have you known him your entire life?" she asked, twirling the ends of her hair.

"Yeah, we've been friends since diapers."

"I bet you were adorable."

"The cutest," he agreed, and she giggled.

"I wish I had a friend like that," she said. "We always moved too much. I never really kept in contact with anyone from my childhood."

"Well, you've got me now, okay? I'm your friend no matter where you are – I hope."

"Are we?" Gabriella asked, biting her lip.

"Are we what?"

"Are we friends, Troy?"

"Of course we are, Ella," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Her heart fluttered at the nickname.

"Ella?"

"Oh, sorry. I didn't even realize – "

"No, it's okay. I like it," she said, grateful for the fact that he couldn't see her blush.

"Okay," he said. She could hear his grin through the phone. "I mean it, Gabriella. We're friends."

"Okay," she agreed softly. "Friends."

/

"Louisiana sucks," Gabriella ranted, pacing back and forth in her room.

"Why?" Troy asked.

"There's absolutely nothing to do here. I'm bored out of my mind every single day. People at school won't talk to me, and I'm not even sure I want them to, I swear, they watch paint dry for fun – and my teachers are so stupid! I should be teaching the classes, honestly, they just hand out these fucking worksheets – "

"Whoa, whoa," Troy interrupted. "Somebody's fired up."

"Sorry," she said sheepishly, sitting on her bed. "I just can't wait to get out of here. But I think we're moving soon – Mom says we're heading to Seattle next."

"That's okay, I get it. Sometimes I wish I could just drop everything and leave. Especially when everyone keeps pressuring me about basketball. We're getting closer to the championship game, and my dad and Chad are stressing me out."

"You should run away," she suggested, only half joking. "Pick me up along the way. We can move to an obscure European country and live on a farm and no one will be able to bother us."

Her heart lifted at the sound of Troy's laugh.

"That sounds great," he said.

Gabriella sighed wistfully.

 _If only._

"Hey, I gotta go. I told Chad I'd meet him at the park for a one-on-one game in twenty minutes. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Gabriella."

"Okay. Bye, Troy."

As she hung up, Gabriella's heart fluttered.

 _Shit,_ she thought. _I like him._


	3. Chapter 3

A month later, Gabriella found herself moving again, this time, heading northwest to Seattle. She was glad to be in a city atmosphere again, surrounded by the constant buzz or city traffic and excitement. It was summer, though, which meant no school to occupy her time with, and no easy way to make friends. However, after getting a job at a local library, she settled into a comfortable routine. Unfortunately, the busy two weeks of the move and settling in meant that she hadn't had time to call Troy, and because he was busy with finals, his texts had been sparse.

She was just thinking this as she walked into the apartment building she and her mom were living in, pressing the elevator button for the third floor, when her phone rang. Her heart leapt when she read the caller ID.

"Hello?" she answered, stepping inside the elevator.

"Hey, Ella."

"Troy! Gosh, I'm so sorry I haven't called, we've just been so busy with the move and settling in and everything – "

"It's okay," he laughed. "Relax, Gabriella."

"I really am sorry, though. I missed talking to you," she said. She slapped herself in the forehead.

 _God, why did I say that? I sound so clingy…_

"I missed talking to you too," Troy said. She breathed a quick sigh of relief. "I had to find another math tutor and everything."

"What?" she said. There was a significant note of hurt or disappointment in her voice – she didn't quite know which.

"Chill, Ella," Troy said. She heard him laugh. "I'm kidding. I did get Taylor to help me out for a week, just for finals. But I like you better."

"Who's Taylor?" Gabriella asked, suddenly feeling defensive.

 _Jesus,_ she thought. _Why am I jealous? He can hang out with any girl he wants, I live across the country._

"She's the president of the chemistry club here. You guys would get along, I think. She's really nice."

"Do you like her?"

Troy scoffed. "No. Absolutely not. Chad, on the other hand…"

Relief flooded her body and she laughed.

"Did you put in a good word for him?"

"It'll take a little more than that. She thinks of us as nothing but dumb jocks, basically."

"I don't think you're a dumb jock," Gabriella said sincerely.

"Thank you," he said. "That means a lot. You know, I did tell Taylor about you, and how you've been helping me, and I might have given her your name…you can probably expect a friend request within the next few days."

"You talk about me?"

"Well, yeah," he said sheepishly. "You're my friend, and they're my friends, and I feel like they should know about you and I want them to like you as much as I do."

"I'm not very good at making friends," she said.

"I don't think you're too terrible."

"Gee, thanks."

"Really, though, Gabriella. Talk to Taylor. You were practically meant to be best friends."

"If you say so, Troy."

"I wish I could talk to you in person," he said suddenly. "I just – I want you to meet all of them. My friends. They would love you."

"Why are you so sure about that?"

"Because – " Troy stopped in the middle of his sentence.

"Because?" she prompted.

"I just know it," he finally said. "And it's summer now! School is out! Maybe you can come visit or something!"

"I wish."

"Me too. My birthday is coming up next month and I have no one to celebrate with, not even my mom. She has to go on a business trip, fly back to her company headquarters for the weekend."

"I'm sorry, Gabriella."

"It's okay. I mean, it's not okay. But, it's okay. I don't want her to go, but I get that she has to."

"I wish I could come visit you. When is it?" he asked.

"I turn fifteen on July fourteenth."

"Hey! Fourteen is my basketball number," he said. She smiled.

"I didn't know that. Is it your lucky number?"

"Yeah, that's why I picked it," he said.

"Well, that's paid off, hasn't it? You were undefeated the whole season."

"Yep," Troy said. She could practically hear him smirk.

"All right, don't let your ego inflate too much. If it weren't for me you would have failed your math classes."

"Also true. Hey – I have to go, Mom's calling for me," he said.

"Tell her I said hello," she said, smiling.

"Hey Mom, Gabriella says hi," said Troy, his voice sounding distant through the phone. There was a slight rustling.

"Is this Gabriella?" said a voice. It was a woman.

"Yes, it is," she giggled nervously.

"Oh!" the woman gasped happily. "You're real! I thought he was making you up, he talks about you so much…"

"Mom!"

Gabriella laughed as Troy complained in the background.

"It's nice to meet you – err, hear you, Mrs. Bolton," she said.

"Please, call me Lucille. Oh, how sweet you are – Troy, I like her."

Gabriella blushed furiously, but she laughed. There was another rustling noise and Troy was on the phone again.

"Sorry about that," he said sheepishly.

"She thought you were making me up," Gabriella teased. She started to laugh uncontrollably.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up."

"Hey," she said, calming down. She sounded slightly breathless. "Tell your mom I like her, too. But don't worry – not as much as I like you."

"Good," Troy said stubbornly. She laughed again.

"Go help your mom. I'll talk to you later."

/

The next few weeks passed uneventfully. Gabriella continued to work at the library, entertaining the smaller children on Tuesdays and Thursdays with crafts and games. She'd gotten a friend request from Taylor a few hours after she'd spoken to Troy, and she had chatted with her a few times. Troy was right – they had a lot in common, from favorite movies to an intense love of chemistry.

Gabriella's mother had agreed to let her take a course at the local community college to pass the time. She hated moving in the summer because she had limited ways to make friends when school wasn't in session, and anyways, Troy and Taylor had been occupying a lot of her time.

It was finally the weekend of her birthday, which fell on a Sunday. Her mother had left for her business trip last night, and Gabriella was currently spending her Saturday reading her chemistry textbook for class, which she had on Mondays and Wednesdays. She was distracted, not absorbing anything she was reading, and she had just decided to give herself a break when there was a knock on the door.

When she opened it, there was a delivery woman standing at the door with a box.

"Are you Gabriella Montez?"

"Um – yeah. Is that for me?"

The woman nodded. Gabriella took the box from her and signed a form saying she received the package, thanking the woman before she left. She held the box with both hands and kicked the door shut, then walked over to the counter and dropped the package on top of it. She double-checked – it was addressed to her. Her jaw dropped when she looked at the return address.

"Albuquerque?" she said aloud. She reached for a knife from a kitchen drawer and cut through the tape. There were wrapped gifts inside, with a card taped to the top. She shook her head and laughed incredulously, pulling out her phone. He answered on the first ring.

"Talk to me."

"What the hell is this?" she asked, amused.

"What the hell is what?"

"A delivery lady just dropped off a box at my apartment," she said. "It's from Albuquerque. I'm sure you had nothing to do with it, though."

"Oh, yeah," Troy laughed. "That was me."

"Why? What is it?"

"Why? It's your birthday, Gabriella, that's why," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"You got me a birthday present?" she said.

"Yeah."

"Oh my god, Troy." She removed her phone from her ear and put it on speaker, placing it on the counter. "Should I open it?"

"That's what you do with presents, isn't it?"

She giggled, taking the wrapped gifts out of the cardboard box.

"I can't believe you," she said as she opened the card. His handwriting was neater than she expected.

 _Ella –_

 _Getting to know you these past few months has been amazing. I wish I could be there in person, but this will have to do. I hope your birthday is wonderful, just like you are, and enjoy your present._

 _-Troy_

"Troy, oh my god," she said, holding her breath to keep from tearing up. "This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me."

"Did you open it?" he asked.

"I just read the card," she said. "I'm opening it now." She shook one of the boxes. It didn't make a noise.

"What is it?" she asked aloud, excited. Troy laughed.

"Open it and find out already."

She tore through the wrapping paper and opened the thin cardboard box on the inside.

"Oh my god, Troy, is this your sweatshirt? The one you let me borrow on New Years?"

"Yeah," he said. "You told me it was comfy – I could tell you liked it. And it's pretty hot in Arizona, so I don't wear it that much, and I know it rains a lot in Seattle – "

"Thank you," she interrupted happily, immediately taking the blue sweatshirt out of the box and pulling it on, leaving it unzipped. It was too large for her, hanging off her small frame, the sleeves way too long, but she loved it. She buried her face in the jacket and inhaled.

"You're welcome."

"You smell good, if this is what you smell like," she said. He laughed.

"Thanks."

"What's the other one?" she remembered suddenly, reaching for the smaller box. She tore it open and her jaw dropped.

"Oh my god, where did you find this?" she squealed, holding the stuffed turtle in the air.

"Do you like it?"

"Like it? Troy, I love it! This has to be the best present I've ever gotten – it's adorable!" she cried as she hugged the soft toy. "I'll call him Thomas."

"Really Ella? Thomas?" he laughed.

"You didn't have to do this."

"I wanted to, Gabriella. You deserve it."

She stared at the phone on the counter, clutching the turtle to her chest, wishing more than anything that he was there, that she could hug him instead. She felt tears welling up, clearing her throat before she answered.

"Thank you, Troy."

She could practically hear his grin through the phone.

"You're welcome."


	4. Chapter 4

The rest of the summer passed without incident – Gabriella spent most of her time working, attending her college class, or talking to Troy and Taylor. Her mother had gotten her a new laptop with a decent webcam for her birthday, so she and Troy Skyped often.

"Ready for sophomore year, Wildcat?" she asked him during the last days of summer. She was grateful when September rolled around, ready to dive headfirst into her schoolwork, desperate for something to do. He shrugged, his hair falling in his face.

"I guess so."

"That doesn't sound too enthusiastic."

"It's not," he laughed. "I don't know. I guess I just always feel this pressure during the school year. I feel like when I'm walking down the hallway, everyone's eyes are on me, and I have to act a certain way and hang out with certain people because I'm captain of the team…I don't know, it's stupid. You're the only person I can really be myself around."

 _God, why does he have to say things like this to me?_

She paused for a moment, thinking carefully before she responded.

"They don't know what they're missing, then," she said firmly.

"I wish you were here," he said, just like he always did.

"Me too," she said.

Just like she always did.

/

"They're having a homecoming dance at school," Troy sighed. It was nearing mid-October, the leaves beginning to change colors.

"You don't sound very excited about that," Gabriella replied, flopping down onto her bed and sinking into the pillows. She held her phone to her ear, shifting to lay on her side.

"Well, all my friends are bringing dates."

"Wait, did Chad ask Taylor?"

"Yeah! And she actually said yes!"

"No way," Gabriella gasped. "She told me she dumped a carton of milk on him last time he asked her out!"

"Yep. I can't believe it. All of my friends have dates except for me."

"I'm sure girls at your school are tripping over themselves trying to get you to ask them," Gabriella laughed, despite the twinge in her heart. She couldn't deny – she hated the thought of Troy going to a dance with a date.

 _I'm ridiculous. He literally lives halfway across the country. And he doesn't even like me._

"And Chad keeps bugging me about this girl…"

"Girl?"

"Yeah, a cheerleader for the team…she likes me, apparently, and everyone is expecting me to ask her out or something," he sighed. She frowned, biting her lip. Her heart was sinking in her chest.

"Do you like her?"

"No. Not at all. She's annoying."

Gabriella breathed a quick sigh of relief, laughing.

"What, does she have cooties?" she teased. He mock-glared at her, which sent her into hysterics.

"I don't want to go out with her at all," Troy said. "Any of those girls. They just see me as a celebrity or something – honestly. It's just high school basketball." She detected the hint of amusement in his voice, biting her lip as she pictured his grin.

"Well, if you _had_ to ask someone, anyone in the world, who would it be?" she asked softly. There was a long pause on the other end of the line.

"I would ask you," he said finally, his voice thick. Gabriella felt like her heart stopped, did a flip, and started pounding in double time.

"I would say yes," she responded quietly.

/

Gabriella shuffled her way through the school halls. It was a gloomy sort of day. Rain was coming down in sheets, thunder heard through the walls of the building and lightning seen through the windows. Everyone she came across was in a bad mood, teacher or student, and she was miserable. She loved Seattle, but she could do without the rain every once in a while.

 _Won't have to deal with that much longer,_ she thought to herself, wanting to cry. Her mother had told her two days ago – they were moving again. Back toward the east again, to Ohio. It was two months into the school year, nearing November. She was glad that she hadn't bothered making any friends in Seattle. Her physics partner, Amanda, was a lovely girl, the closest thing Gabriella could consider a friend, but they didn't have much in common.

All of the people Gabriella wanted to be spending her time with lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico – and she was about to move even farther away from them all.

She snapped out of her thoughts as her history teacher began to write their assignment on the board – a seven paragraph essay on a battle of the American Revolution. She wanted to slam her head on the desk, but she bit back her groan and took out a pen, writing her name and date on the paper. Then she froze.

 _October 29._

Her hand began to shake and she wanted to throw up.

 _Dad died ten years ago today._

Then she was slamming her pen on the desk, the plastic splintering, throwing her bag over her shoulder and storming out of the room. She ignored the voice of the teacher calling after her, racing to the nearest bathroom and into a stall, sitting on the ground against the cold tile wall and leaning her head in her hands. She let the tears fall freely, her sobs echoing in the empty bathroom, and she pulled out her phone and dialed, not knowing what else to do.

"Gabriella?"

She shattered at the sound of his voice.

"Troy," she sobbed, struggling to say something, struggling to breathe.

"Ella, what's wrong?" he asked immediately, concerned. "Baby, I can't help you if you don't calm down and tell me what's wrong. Come on, breathe. In and out, with me."

She took a few deep breaths, listening to Troy on the other end of the line.

"I'm sorry," she said finally, the tears beginning to slow.

"What's wrong, Ella? Are you okay? Did someone hurt you?"

"No, I…" she trailed off. He was silent, waiting patiently for her to finish. "I've had a really shitty day. And my dad died today. It's been ten years."

She heard his sharp intake of breath.

"God, Gabriella, I'm sorry. I can't even imagine," he said.

"I don't know why I'm freaking out like this," she said, tucking her phone between her ear and her shoulder. She used her free hands to start chipping away at her blue nail polish. "I miss him a lot, obviously, but I know he wouldn't want me to – " She stopped to collect herself.

"You have every right to be upset, Gabriella."

"I almost forgot," she admitted. "I was writing the date on my history essay and I just – I snapped. I walked out of class and now I'm sitting on the floor of the girls' bathroom, crying, and I'm a pathetic mess. And I'm talking to my best friend, who lives fifteen hundred miles away from me because the universe hates me, and we're moving in a couple of days to fucking _Ohio_ so I'm going to be even _farther_ -"

"What?" he interrupted. "You're moving again?"

"Yeah," she mumbled. "I hate my mom's job." Troy sighed.

"I hate your mom's job too."

"Oh, and my car is in the shop, so I have to walk home in this thunderstorm after school today."

"You're walking in the rain?"

"Will you come pick me up?" she asked miserably. He chuckled.

"If you're willing to wait two days."

"I'll be in Ohio by then," she reminded him, and they were silent again.

"I want to be there with you right now," he said. "I feel so fucking useless, like I can't help you if I can't be there. I want to hug you."

"I would really love a hug from you right now, Wildcat," she said.

"One day," he said firmly. "Promise?"

She nodded to herself.

"Promise."

"Okay," he said. "For now, go home – please take a taxi, don't walk in the rain – and change into some comfy clothes and drink a hot chocolate and hug Thomas the Turtle for me. I'll call you tonight. For now, I have to get to class. You caught me during my lunch period - the bell is gonna ring in a minute."

"What would I do without you?" she asked him, entirely seriously.

"What would _I_ do without _you_?" he countered, and for the first time that day, she smiled.

/

"Oh my god, Taylor. Give the guy a break," Gabriella said, only half-joking. The Brainiac on the other end of the line was detailing her latest fight with Chad.

"Gabs, I'm telling you, he was acting like a fool. I was trying to help him, he's _this close_ to failing chemistry, and all Chad wants to do is make out!"

"Gross," Gabriella responded, her face scrunching up. "I didn't need to know that."

"Whatever," Taylor sighed. "Anyways, how are you liking Ohio?"

"It's not as bad as I thought it was going to be. But still, I wish I was closer to you guys. Close enough that I could come visit, at least."

"I would love to meet you in person. Honestly, can you just come to school here? You can live with me. I'm entirely serious."

"I wish," she sighed. "But I couldn't leave my mom like that."

"I get it," Taylor said. "Anyways, are there any guys on your radar?"

"Please," Gabriella scoffed. "Ohio isn't exactly known for its cute guys. Every teenage boy that I've met is a total idiot."

 _And I'm in love with Troy._

"That's awful. A guy with no brains is a guy with no chance, that's what I always say."

"Um, what about Chad?" Gabriella giggled.

"Oh, he has a brain," Taylor laughed. "He just never uses it."


	5. Chapter 5

_Sorry there's been a bit of a wait for this chapter! Things got crazy with my school musical and I was incredibly busy. I'll be updating more regularly now. Only a few more chapters!_

 _Nicole_

It was Thanksgiving Day, and she had her laptop set up on the kitchen counter beside her while she chopped potatoes. Her mother had just run out to buy a turkey.

Troy was doing the same thing in his kitchen, a 22-hour drive from her, his kitchen lighting doing wonders for his blue eyes. She could only imagine the way they looked in person.

"Hello Gabriella!" said a female voice. She watched Lucille Bolton walk into view of the camera. The red-haired woman waved at her.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Lucille," she said, beaming.

"Happy Thanksgiving to you too, sweetheart! Same to your mom! Is she there?"

"You just missed her. She left to go buy a turkey," Gabriella said, shaking her head.

"Oh, well tell her I said hello! I'm running to the store too – I just realized I forgot to buy salad dressing! Your dad's coming with me, Troy," Lucille said, turning to her son. "Your uncle and cousins will be here at four. Make sure you change out of your pajamas before then, at the very least."

Troy rolled his eyes.

"Okay, mom."

"I'll see you in a bit! Goodbye, Gabriella!"

"By Lucille," Gabriella said, waving. She watched Troy's eyes follow his mother's trail, turning back to look at her when the door slammed.

"I love your mom," she informed him.

"She loves you," he said, raising an eyebrow. They both went back to their chopping, falling into a somewhat comfortable silence for a moment.

"So, what are you thankful for this year, Wildcat?"

Troy looked up at her thoughtfully, and she stared back at him, genuinely curious.

"I'm thankful for you," he said after a moment, a smile gracing his face. She wanted to melt.

"Shut up, Troy," she said, blushing and looking away.

 _I wish he wouldn't say things like that when he doesn't mean them._

"I'm serious, Ella," he said, pausing in his potato chopping. "Look at me."

She stopped what she was doing and stared at her computer screen, motioning for him to continue.

"I am so glad I met you at that ski lodge. You're the best thing that's happened to me all year," he said sincerely.

"I am too. Glad I met you, I mean. I just – I couldn't ever imagine me being happy, moving from place to place all the time, but you've just been this constant thing – "

"I love you, Gabriella," Troy interrupted suddenly. Everything stopped, her breathing shallow, the words ringing in her ears.

"What?"

"I just – I love you," he said again. "I don't know, I've just – I've wanted to say that to you for ages, but I guess I was nervous because you're like my best friend and I don't want to fuck this up." Gabriella stared at him, shocked, scanning his face. She reached out and ran her finger along his face on the screen.

"I love you," she said softly.

His smile grew as he registered what he said, his entire body slumping as the tense nervousness dissipated.

"You have no idea how much I wish I could kiss you right now," he said, his voice hoarse. He rubbed the back of his neck, drinking in the sight of her. "God, Ella, you're so beautiful."

She couldn't think of anything else to say, so she said it again. She could say it a million more times.

"I love you."

/

She was giddy in the next few weeks. It was the holiday season – Christmas had always been her favorite. The decorations that went up around town, the way everything seemed to smell of cinnamon – it really was the most wonderful time of the year. And this year, she had Troy.

It was a strange sort of relationship. They were best friends, but they were more – they loved each other. That much was clear. Troy had taken to calling her his girlfriend – every time he did, her heart seemed to grow three sizes. She was happier than she had been in years. But the long distance between her and Troy was killing her. She wished more than anything that she could spend the holidays with him.

Christmas was right around the corner. Winter break had just started. There were only a few presents under the tiny tree in her apartment, but it was all she needed. She had mailed a box to Troy a few days ago to make sure it would be there by the holidays. She bought him a leather bracelet she found in a tiny antique shop – it had the number fourteen on it.

She was in the midst of baking a batch of sugar cookies – a yearly Christmas tradition – when she got a phone call from Troy.

"Hey, Wildcat," she said happily.

"Ella," he said, his voice rough. She could immediately tell something was wrong.

"Troy? What is it?"

"My mom was in an accident."

Her heart fell in her chest.

"Oh my god, Troy…"

"It was only a minor accident," he said quickly. "She's going to be fine. She broke her leg, I think – I'm not sure, my dad just called me, he's at the hospital – but I just – I don't know. I'm at home by myself and I'm freaking out."

"Hey, you said she's going to be okay, right?" she said. Gabriella's entire body flooded with relief.

"Yeah, that's what my dad said. So I don't know why I'm so…scared, I guess."

"Troy, it's totally normal to be freaking out right now. You're just worried about your mom, it's totally understandable," she said. "I would be totally panicking too."

"I love you, Gabriella," he said. "I guess I just needed to hear your voice."

"I love you too, Troy," she said gently. She could tell he was crying, and she ached to pull him into her arms and wipe away those tears.

"I wish you could be here," he said quietly.

"Me too," she said. She stared at the cookie dough she'd been mixing and she hated it, suddenly. "I want to hug you so bad. I also have a sudden urge to punch a brick wall."

He let out choked laughter and her heart lifted. She had made him smile.

"Don't punch any walls, Ella. I don't need you to have any broken bones, too."

"I promise, I won't," she said. There was silence for a moment. "You should call your dad, or go to the hospital. Your mom probably needs you right now. I'll still be here, waiting. Keep me updated. Tell her I hope she feels better soon."

"I'll call you later tonight, I promise," Troy said.

"Okay. I love you," she said.

"I love you too."


	6. Chapter 6

**Here's the next chapter! I'm glad you're all enjoying this so much – I got some absolutely lovely reviews on the last chapter and they really brought a smile to my face, so thank you!**

 **-Nicole**

Christmas went by in a blur. Lucille made a quick recovery from the accident – it was a few weeks into the new year and she was well into her physical therapy sessions.

 _Troy: She'll be walking again, soon. That's what the doctor said at least._

 _Gabriella: That's great!_

 _Troy: I know it was late, but did you get my package yet?_

 _Gabriella: Oh! It arrived yesterday! I haven't opened it yet._

 _Troy: Open it now. :)_

Gabriella grabbed the package from the corner of her desk. Troy had sent her a Christmas present, but it was understandably running late because he had been so busy with his mom. There was a tiny wrapped box inside – as she tore open the paper she could tell it was jewelry.

Inside, there was a necklace with a small silver charm in the shape of the letter T. She put it on, smiling.

 _Gabriella: T as in Troy?_

 _Troy: You like it?_

 _Gabriella: It's beautiful, Troy. Thank you._

"Gabi, can you come down here?" Maria shouted up the stairs, sounding muffled through the walls. Gabriella turned from her computer screen.

"Be right there, Mom!" she shouted. She sent Troy a quick message.

 _Gabriella: I have to go. Mom is calling._

 _Troy: Talk to you later, babe._

She smiled, closing her computer before rushing down the stairs into the kitchen.

"What do you need, Mom?" Gabriella asked. Maria said nothing, just grinning.

"What?" Gabriella asked, narrowing her eyes with suspicion.

"Baby, we're moving."

Gabriella's curious demeanor immediately changed.

"What?" she choked out. "We've only been here a few weeks!" She wanted to cry. She hating moving, she hated her mother's job, she hated everything.

"Calm down, baby. You're going to be happy about this one."

"Happy?" Gabriella scoffed. "Yeah right, Mom. Not unless we're moving to Albuquerque, I'm not."

Maria's smile only grew wider. "We leave next week."

Gabriella watched her mom for a moment, her eyes widening as it registered.

"Wait – are you ser- " Gabriella's hand clasped over her mouth. "Mom, please tell me you're not joking."

"Baby, you should have seen my face when my boss told me."

That was the final straw. Gabriella broke down, sobbing and laughing at the same time. Watching her daughter, Maria couldn't help but do the same. Gabriella clasped her arms around her mother's neck, hugging her tightly.

"Oh my god, Mom, I'm going to see him," she cried.

"I haven't even told you the best part yet," Maria laughed. Gabriella pulled back immediately, attentive.

"I made them promise," Maria continued. "No more moving until you graduate."

"Mom," she gasped. "Oh my god." If possible, Gabriella cried harder. She gave herself a moment to calm down. Her smile was glowing, practically lighting up the entire room.

"Oh my god, I have to call him!" she exclaimed. "I have to call Troy!" She dashed up the stairs to her bedroom, the door slamming shut behind her, before scrambling to grab her phone from her desk. She took a deep breath.

"Get it together, Gabriella," she mumbled to herself as she dialed, bringing the phone up to her ear.

"Talk to me."

At the sound of the all too familiar voice, she was crying again, all effort futile.

"Gabriella?" Troy asked, concern lacing his tone. "Ella, what's wrong? Hey, what's going on?"

She calmed herself enough to answer him.

"We're moving, Troy," she choked out.

"Already? God. I'm sorry, Ella, I know you hate – "

"To Albuquerque, Troy. We're moving to Albuquerque."

The other end of the line was dead silent for a moment. Gabriella's heart stopped.

 _What if he doesn't want to see me? What if he doesn't care that I'm coming? What if –_

Her intrusive thoughts were cut off by a soft, "Are you serious?"

"Yes," she said. "My mom just told me." She sniffled, wiping her eyes. There was another moment of silence, and then she was laughing and wincing, pulling the phone away from her ear as Troy shouted.

"YES!" Gabriella pulled the phone away from her ear, wincing at the noise. When it died down, she brought it back.

"Gabriella, this is – when? When are you coming?" he asked. She could practically hear him jumping up and down in his bedroom. She couldn't stop smiling herself.

"I don't know when we'll get there – Troy," she breathed. "Troy I – I'm going to _see_ you. I'm gonna hug you and kiss you and meet Chad."

"I can't believe this is happening – Ella," he said. "I love you so much. I can't wait."

"Me either," she said softly. "I should probably get packing."

"Yes, you should. The sooner you pack, the sooner you get here, and I want you here by yesterday."

She giggled. "I'll talk to you soon."

"I love you, Ella."

"I love you too, Troy." She hung up the phone, dropping it on her desk and dancing around the room.

"I told you, you'd be happy about this one," Maria said. Gabriella turned to her mother, who was standing in the doorway. She rushed up to her, hugging her tightly.

"Thank you, Mom," she whispered.

"I love you, baby," Maria smiled. "What did Troy say?"

"He wants me there yesterday."

"I'm sure he does." Maria looked down at her daughter with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "You know, I've been emailing Troy's mother – "

"You have?"

"Yes, I have. You're going to be going to the same school – "  
"Oh my god, Mom," she said. "I'm going to see him. Every day."

"Our street is only two blocks from theirs – "  
"Mom, stop," Gabriella said. "I'm gonna start crying again."

"And Troy has a championship game next Friday, and we're flying in early Friday morning. We can go to the game and surprise him."

"I'll be able to go to his basketball games! I – Mom, I just…" Gabriella swallowed. "I love you. Thank you so much."

"I love you too, baby. Now go," Maria smiled. "Start packing."

/

Gabriella was antsy for the rest of the week, her nerves getting to her. She was really starting to panic once they reached the airport. She couldn't sleep the night before, she couldn't eat that morning, she couldn't believe that in a few hours, she would see him.

 _This is actually happening. This is actually happening._

"This is actually happening," she said incredulously as they stood in line to board the plane, passports in hand.

"Well believe it," Maria laughed. "You've got a three hour flight to let it sink in."

On the plane, Gabriella finally fell asleep, her sleepless night catching up to her. She blinked awake to her mother shaking her shoulder.

"We're here, Gabi," Maria said softly. "Just landed."

"Oh my god," Gabriella breathed, feeling her heart skip a beat. "Mom, I'm so nervous."

"You have no reason to be. Troy loves you. He's going to be so happy to see you later."

Gabriella nodded, biting her lip. She stood up and stretched, and the two gathered their things and got off the plane.

"Should I call a cab, Mom?" Gabriella asked as they entered a busier section of the airport.

"No need."

"Why not?"

Maria pointed over Gabriella's left shoulder. Gabriella spun around quickly, following her mother's gaze. Her jaw dropped, taking in the sight of the red-haired woman standing mere meters away from her. She was on crutches. The woman was scanning the crowd, and when her eyes fell on Gabriella, her hand clasped over her mouth. Then she shrieked happily. Gabriella rushed toward her.

"Lucille!"

Troy's mother embraced her tightly.

"Oh, goodness, you are so much more beautiful in person," Lucille exclaimed. She pulled back to look at the young girl. "Oh, I can't believe you're here! Maria!" She turned and hugged Maria.

"It's so nice to finally meet both of you," Lucille continued. "Oh, Troy is going to be so happy! He doesn't suspect a thing – I told the boys I was going to get my nails done! They're so clueless."

The three women laughed. Gabriella couldn't believe it.

 _I'm really here._

"Are you here on your own?" Maria asked, concerned. She nodded at Lucille's crutches. There was a boot on her foot.

"Oh, no, Jack is here! He went to the bathroom…oh there he is!"

A tall, brown-haired man walked toward them confidently. He was smiling.

"You must be Gabriella!"

"I'm so happy to meet you, Mr. Bolton," Gabriella exclaimed as he hugged her.

"Please, call me Jack. You must be Maria, then."

The two adults shook hands.

"Come on!" Lucille said to the other girls. "Let's bring you two home!"

The drive to their new house was comfortable and enjoyable. Lucille rambled on, joking about her family. Maria and Gabriella listened attentively, laughing at her stories. Gabriella hardly paid attention to where they were until Lucille stopped the car, pulling into the driveway of a large white house.

"Is this it? Our house?" Gabriella asked, jumping in her seat. She was practically out of the car before it was put in park.

"This is it!" Maria grinned as she followed Gabriella out of the car. The two walked up to the front door, Lucille and Jack following closely behind. Maria unlocked the door and they went inside, pulling their small suitcases along with them. The rest of their things were arriving the next day.

"It's beautiful Mom," Gabriella whispered.

"Come see your bedroom," Maria said excitedly. This time, she was the one bolting in front of the others, grabbing her daughter's hand and leading her up the stairs. She opened a hall door into a large white room, with a queen sized bare bed and a set of glass doors leading out to a balcony.

"Mom! I love it!" Gabriella gushed, immediately rushing out to the balcony. She breathed in the fresh Albuquerque air.

 _The same air Troy is breathing._

"See that brown house, two blocks over? With the shingled roof?" Lucille pointed.

"Yeah, right there?"

"That's our house."

"Holy shit," Gabriella said aloud. "This is really happening. Troy is there? Two blocks away from me?"

"Yes, honey," Lucille laughed. "I'll let you two get settled. Jack needs to get to the school, being the coach and all…I'm sure you're tired from the travelling. It's only two o'clock, Troy's game starts at six. He and Chad usually go an hour early so they're the first ones there. I can pick you two up at five thirty?"

"That sounds great," Maria said. Lucille hugged them both, Gabriella last. She brushed the young girl's hair out of her face.

"He's going to be so excited to see you. I'm so glad you're here. You make him so happy, Gabriella," Lucille said quietly. Gabriella smiled softly.

"He makes me happy too." Lucille hugged her again and Gabriella walked her to the door.

"I'll be back before you know it," Lucille said.

"See you then."

The door shut and Gabriella leaned against it, sinking down to the ground. The butterflies in her stomach were going crazy. She had no idea why she was so nervous. Everything seemed so real all of a sudden.

"Are you okay, Gabi?"

"Yeah," she said, though it didn't sound very convincing with the way her voice cracked. She stopped and shook her head, changing her mind. "Actually, no. I'm freaking out, Mom."

"You're always nervous in a new place, I'm not surprised, especially under these circumstances," Maria said. "Why don't you go take a quick nap? I know you didn't sleep last night. I'll wake you up an hour before we leave, so you have enough time to get ready."

"Thank you, Mom."

Gabriella went upstairs to her new room and laid down on the bare mattress, staring at the ceiling. She let her mind stop racing and gave in to sleep with a smile.


	7. Chapter 7

_It's the moment everyone has been waiting for! I loved writing this fic and I hope you all enjoyed it. I've got a few more things in the works right now, mostly Doctor Who stuff, but if anyone has any requests I am always happy to revisit High School Musical! Thanks for making this a fun experience, my lovely readers and reviewers :)_

 _Nicole_

"Gabi, wake up," Maria said gently, shaking her awake. "It's four thirty."

Gabriella woke up quickly with a burst of energy. She was still nervous, but it was a good nervous. An excited nervous.

"God, Mom, what do I wear?" she cried as she got out of bed and started shifting through her things. She pulled out a few dresses and laid them on the bed, examining each of them.

"You know I like that blue one," Maria said. "It looks beautiful on you. But, I think you should wear this one." She walked out of the room and came back with a flowery piece of fabric.

"Mom, you bought me a dress? Thank you! Oh, it's beautiful!"

"Try it on!" Maria laughed. Gabriella took of her jeans and shirt and pulled the dress over her head. She headed into the bathroom in the hall to look in the mirror.

"I love it," she said softly. "Thank you."

"You're beautiful, Gabi. Troy won't know what hit him."

"God, I need to do my hair and makeup," Gabriella muttered. She grabbed her curling iron from her room and touched up her natural waves, then applied some mascara and lip gloss, keeping it simple. Before she knew it, the doorbell was ringing.

"Gabi, are you ready to go?" Maria called up the stairs.

"Coming!" she called back, quickly grabbing a purse and shoving things in it. She grabbed her phone last and rushed down the stairs, sending Troy a quick text with a ridiculous smile on her face.

 _Good luck with the championships tonight. I know you'll be great._

At the bottom of the stairs, her mother and Lucille waited, along with another teenage girl.

"Oh my god, Taylor?" she exclaimed. The girls looked at each other, shrieking with excitement and running into a hug.

"Gabi! I can't believe you're here!"

"Come on girls, you can catch up in the car. We don't want to be late," Lucille laughed. Gabriella and Taylor settled in the back seat of the car while Lucille and Maria were up front. Gabriella's phone buzzed as she received a response from Troy.

 _Thanks babe. Wish you were here._

"God, Taylor, I'm so nervous," Gabriella admitted.

"Honestly, you shouldn't be. Troy doesn't shut up about you. Everyone practically feels like they know you," Taylor laughed. Gabriella smiled to herself.

"Really?"

"Really. He's gonna shit himself when he sees you. Not literally, but – my point is, he's gonna be ecstatic."

Gabriella looked out the window just as the car stopped. They had pulled into a spot in the East High parking lot. Tons of people were filing into the doors. Her heart picked up its pace.

"We'll meet you after the game, right Mrs. Bolton?" Taylor said. Lucille nodded.

"Have fun, girls," she said. "I'm going to go find Jack. Maria, are you coming with me?" Maria nodded.

"Don't be nervous Gabi. Like I always tell you – just be yourself."

"I will," Gabriella said, sounding a lot more confident than she felt. The adults headed inside.

"Taylor! Wait up!" a voice called as the two teens had started to head for the doors. Gabriella turned to see a petite girl with feathery brown hair, tucked into a hat, rushing toward them. She was being followed by a taller, slim, blonde boy and girl.

"Guys," Taylor said excitedly. "This is Gabriella." She gestured.

"Gabriella?" the petite girl said, confused. She looked Gabriella up and down for a moment and her eyes widened. "Oh my god, you're _Gabriella!_ Troy's Gabriella!"

"I – um – yes," Gabriella stuttered. The other two gasped.

"Gabriella, this is Kelsi, Ryan, and Sharpay," Taylor introduced.

"Oh!" Gabriella gasped as she realized. "Troy told me all about you guys! It's so nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too," Sharpay said, stepping forward to hug her. "Troy never stops talking about you. I feel like we're best friends already. Troy told us you'd be moving here but he didn't say when!"

"Troy doesn't know she's here," Taylor said quickly. "We're surprising him after the game."

"Oh, that's so sweet," Kelsi gushed.

"Speaking of which, we should probably get inside. The game is starting soon," Sharpay noted, looking at the time on her phone. The group rushed inside, finding an empty row in the bleachers in the middle of the crowd. Gabriella's eyes searched the court as the teams flooded out of the locker rooms. She saw Chad, she saw Jason, she saw Zeke – all the people Troy had ever described to her, they were right there in the gym.

 _There he is._

She smiled, wider than she'd ever smiled. The game started, and she didn't take her eyes off of him the whole time. Their team took an easy lead, and she marveled at how wonderful he was. He complained about the practice, but it really paid off – the team worked like a machine, passing, dribbling, shooting baskets – and by halftime, they were up by twenty points. Taylor cheered loudly for Chad, and Sharpay for Zeke. Ryan and Kelsi's cheering was more subdued, but still enthusiastic. Gabriella cheered the loudest of all of them, but her voice was still lost in the roaring crowd.

In the next half, the opposing team started catching up. At the end, the score was tied, and there were only a few seconds left on the clock. The entire gymnasium of people were on the edge of their seats, hanging on every movement. Chad gained possession of the ball and passed it to Jason, who passed it to Zeke, who passed it to Troy – who made the basket at the last second. The buzzer went off and the scoreboard changed, and East High went wild. People leapt off the bleacher seats, jumping up and down and flooding onto the court. Taylor hugged Gabriella, and both of them cheered. Troy was lifted onto the shoulders of his teammates, a trophy thrust into his hands, which he lifted high in the air. In the midst of the chaos, Gabriella stopped for a moment.

 _This is it. This is where I belong._

The gymnasium was chaos. The team put Troy back on the ground and he handed the trophy to his dad. He hugged other guys on the team. Then he turned to scan the crowd.

Then blue eyes met brown, and everything froze.

Gabriella's eyes were watering and Troy's jaw slackened. People were shouting, congratulating, but he wasn't listening. He drove through the crowd, pushing and shoving, and then he was five feet in front of her and she was looking up at him.

"You've gotten taller," she said abruptly, completely enchanted. Troy let out disbelieving, surprised laughter, closing the space between them in just two steps. Her arms came around his neck, his arms around her waist, and he was spinning her in joyful circles.

He set her down gently, looking into her eyes.

"Hi," she said. He brought a hand up to cup her face, letting out a breath he'd been holding when he touched her skin.

"You're _here_ ," he said, almost as if he didn't believe it.

"I'm here," she whispered. And then he was pulling her close, she was grabbing his shirt, his lips coming down to capture hers. His arms circled her waist, hers hugging his neck as she kissed him back. He tugged her closer, deepening the kiss, and her mind was blank. She was kissing Troy. She was finally, _finally_ kissing Troy. When he finally pulled away, his forehead rested on hers. She opened her eyes, but his were still closed. She kissed him softly, one more time.

Troy smiled and his eyes opened. They were blue, bluer than she remembered, a shade of blue that the pictures and webcams did no justice for.

"God, you're so beautiful," he said. "You're beautiful, Ella, and you're here. You're _here!_ " His shout echoed, even in the gymnasium that was booming with activity.

She was smiling like an idiot, and so was he. But they were smiling like idiots together.

Gabriella closed the distance between them once more - and it was only a few inches. Not thousands of miles. And she wouldn't have it any other way.


End file.
